An interesting thing happened to me this summer during wheat harvest.  There I was, up in the combine cab, concentrating on the chore at hand, trying to outrun a thunderstorm brewing off to the west. It was late in the day, we’d been at it since early morning.

Our farm’s in rural Ottawa County. We’re north and a bit west of Minneapolis, not exactly on the beaten path. The field I was inis adjacent to Ottawa County Highway 284.  We locals use it a lot, but it’s safe to say it’s not a main thoroughfare. It’s an east-west route connecting US-81 and K-14.

As I made my way through this field, I was headed north. Up ahead, I noticed an SUV parked on the side of the highway and my curiosity was piqued. As I got closer I could see a guy leaning on the vehicle facing my wheat field, with a camera, taking pictures–of me!

When I swung the combine around to head south, he was snapping away. I noticed the windows were rolled down and I could see a couple of kids in the back with Mom up front. I smiled and shot ‘em a friendly wave.  They all waved back. I was close enough to eyeball their license plates–New Jersey.

They didn’t hang around long enough for me to stop and visit with them. (Probably just as well. When I’m cutting wheat, I tend to be task oriented) But as I worked my way through that wheat field, I began thinking and wondering about that young family from New Jersey.

Clearly they were a long way from home.  No clue why they were in rural Ottawa County, Kan., but it’s not hard to imagine they were on a family summer vacation, maybe headed to the mountains or the west coast.  It’s also easy to imagine the kids saw my combine as they motored down the highway and urged Dad to pull over and take some photos. I’d like to think that during breakfast or lunch the next day the family made the connection with the crop I was harvesting and the French toast or the hamburger bun.

The kernel of this combine contemplation: This family thought there was something unique and intriguing enough about a Kansas farmer harvesting his wheat crop that they pulled off the highway, dug out the camera and took some photos.  It’s kind of a neat feeling to think that me and my combine are part of somebody’s family vacation photo album on Facebook and hopefully a fond vacation memory.

We talk all the time about the fact that people are further and further removed from agriculture and the challenges that creates for those of us still here.  But this cultural transition also brings opportunities.

Because people lack a connection with the farm, there’s a void. If a combine harvesting wheat in Kansas is a new experience, people are curious about it. They want to learn more. They’re fascinated by it. It’s human nature.

Clearly, there are business opportunities in agritourism for some entrepreneurial thinking farmers and ranchers.   But bigger than that, think of the hearts and minds we can impact. People form perceptions about what we do based on a whole raft of inputs and sources.

The underlying concept driving agritourism is people will seek us out for an experience they want. What a tremendous opportunity to share the story of agriculture and impact people’s lives.

It’s hard to change someone’s mind when they’re not paying attention to you. But when they come looking for you, you’re halfway home.

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